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(40 places) and at Selsdon and Old Coulsdon (60 places each). (The
Voluntary Nurseries had accommodation for approximately 21-26
children in each.)
The Government met the net expenditure in relation to the wartime
nurseries, which have made a very marked contribution, not only
to the war effort directly and indirectly, but to the education and
physical needs of the children. In general it can be stated that the
applications for admission to the Old Coulsdon, Coulsdon and Purley
Nurseries have always exceeded the number of available places, although
at times, owing to outbreaks of infectious disease or war conditions, each
of the nurseries has, for a short period, only been partially filled.
Owing to the Government grant, which in the later months of the
war was extended to give additional financial assistance to the voluntary
nurseries, no consideration was given to municipal boundaries, children
from Caterham and Croydon being willingly accepted, the chief factor
in deciding priority of admission being the amount of time the mother
worked.
At the Selsdon Nursery the local demand proved small, on an
average only one-third of the places being occupied by children from
that area. As a result an ambulance service, originally staffed by the
Civil Defence personnel, was instituted for the conveyance of children
from South Croydon and Sanderstead to and from the Selsdon Nursery,
the number of children on the roll being thus maintained at approximately
50, except in epidemic periods.
During the latter half of 1945 considerable anxiety was felt by the
Staff as to the uncertain future of the nurseries, although the demand
for accommodation by women going out to work increased rather than
diminished. In December, 1945, the Government decided to reduce its
grant in respect of the War-time Nurseries as from the 1st April, 1946,
to less than 50 per cent., with the result that readjustments had to be
considered which have since resulted in an increase in Nursery Schools
and a diminution in nursery facilities throughout the District. Parallel
with these alterations there has been a change in policy with regard to
the training of nursery staffs, a new syllabus being introduced which
will eventually provide much more adequate training for the students.
Unfortunately, owing to the great demands being made for extension
in all directions under the Education Act, the transitional period preceding
the establishment of many more nursery schools is likely to be
prolonged, and meanwhile the future of nurseries as such has been so
uncertain that it has not been justifiable to encourage likely candidates
to take up nursery work.
It is felt that eventually at least one good nursery will be needed
for this District to accommodate the children of parents who must work
or who, for health reasons, are unable to look after their children, and
whose needs cannot be met by the normal nursery school hours and age
limits. Every consideration, however, is being given to this and similar
problems, which will be reported upon more fully in the Health Report
for the year 1946.
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